Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Thanking my way out of the grumpies

Today I am grumpy.

As part of our simplify thing, and the whole saving money thing, we're switching from the cable bundle of phone, internet and cable to Dish, DSL, and VOIP- non bundle. I suppose, long-term, it will save us some money. But right now, all the start up costs and time involved have been such a pain that I'm wishing we'd just let the cable companies take our money. You know, like that commercial where the family keeps handing over money. Personally, I'd be fine with getting rid of cable and TV altogether, but I've lost that fight too many times. Yes, I like my shows, but I could live without them.

Anyway, today we're dealing with the fiasco known as getting DSL installed. Getting the Dish installed was a 6 hour nightmare that involved having multiple people running through my house and being the lucky people for whom it wasn't a simple set up. VOIP did not involve multiple people, but it has involved a lot of money up front, (but so has Dish and DSL), but it's just been a pain connecting everything.

On top of that, our furnace has been acting up for over a month now. It'll work for a few days, then decide to quit. Hubby will tinker with it, then it will work, then it will randomly stop. Today it is not working. So I'm in my office with a blanket and space heater and very grumpy about my cold house. I keep asking to get someone in to look at it, but he is confident he can fix it, which leaves me... um, cold.

But wait... I'm not done with my reasons for being grumpy. Hubby, in his infinite man-mind, has decided to move all of our computer, modem, phone, whatever, stuff, into our furnace room. So we have a communication hub. Which means that he has taken everything out of that storage room and scattered it all over the basement. I cannot walk the ten feet between the stairs and my office door without putting my life in danger from the man junk scattered throughout. And kid junk, because hubby shifted their play area, and now they can't get to the area where they need to put away their stuff. So it's all piling up.

Much of the blame I lay at hubby's feet because he's the one who turned this all into a giant nightmare project. Which is probably not fair, but hey, who said being married is about being fair?

Hopefully, I haven't lost you yet... because I actually do have a positive point besides unloading all of my frustrations.

Yesterday, I was out shopping with my grandma, and I saw a plaque that said something to the effect of, "Thank you Lord for the dirty dishes because it means we have food to eat."

And it occurred to me, as I was preparing what I thought was the mother of all telling my hubby exactly what I thought of the fact that my world has been upside down for the month (longer, if you count the furnace), that all of these problems are like the dirty dishes plaque.

How many people can't afford cable or dish? How many people in the world even have TV? Thank you, Lord, for our ability to have TV and all the extras (even ones I don't think I want).

How many people can't afford DSL? Or the super high speed hubby is getting so that my job will be easier. Or wow, my ability to work from home instead of going to an office every day. Thank you, Lord, for DSL, and high speed internet.

What about the phone? Another convenience we take for granted. Something else that we can afford- a land line, and three cell phones. (One is hubby's work phone, provided by work). But again, what a blessing that not everyone has, but sure makes our lives easier. Thank you Lord, for providing us with ease of communication and the means to do so.

Let's talk furnace... so yes, it's been in the 50s in my house. Outside, it's in the 20s. Where would you rather be? Even with a broken furnace, how many people in the world DON'T have heat? How many people can't just pile on the blankets and crank up the space heaters? Thank you, Lord, for giving my the privilege of being warm and comfortable even when I don't appreciate it.

But let's also discuss the person I am cranky at for not doing all of this the way I want it done and inconveniencing me. Yes, I am talking about The Man. I have to acknowledge that he didn't wake up and say, "let me mess up things for my wife today." In fact, he was thinking that he wanted to get on board with my saving money plan and do his part. He thought he could fix the furnace himself and save us from paying for a service call. He thought that once we get through this service transition, that we will be paying less for more. I know, from talking to some of my other married friends, that not all spouses would get on board and go to that effort. Not all spouses can repair broken things in the house. Thank you, Lord, for a husband who is on board with my money saving plan. Thank you for a husband who can fix things around the house. Thank you for a husband who provides enough for the family so that we can have all of these wonderful things. And thank you, Lord, for a husband. I'm probably not thankful enough for him, especially when so many out there don't have spouses, or spouses they can count on as much as I count on mine.

I'm going to try to remember that in the times of being grumpy, that I still have many blessings I can be thankful for. What dirty dishes are you thankful for?

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About Me

A dedicated professional in the publishing world, Danica Favorite works as an online moderator for a major publisher where she connects readers and writers with new fiction releases. With four active kids, a devilishly handsome husband and insane dog, Danica’s never short of inspiration when it comes to writing characters for her latest book. She and her family make their home in Denver, Colorado, where they enjoy the mountain lifestyle with the comforts of the city.